Paying for fibre, only receiving adsl for 11 months

[#1]

First time poster. Looking for advice.

Context: I took out an Unlimited Fibre 18month contract in Feb this year. It was slower than expected - 8-11mpbs. Plusnet said this was within acceptable range. I accepted this. Until early Dec, when my upload speed was nearly 0mpbs and could not share work files.  BT wholesale check, says I should expect circa 45/20. Numerous chats with Plusnet revealed I was only on ADSL not fibre, which I was paying for and my speed was limited.  I will only receive Fibre on the 4th Jan 18. So, will have been receiving significantly lower broadband quality for the best part of a year.

Plusnet agreed £45 refund. But this seems low to me. I have asked for the calculation.  No word. I have asked for compensation (not just for the service failure but hours of detective work I had to put in). No word. 

Does anyone know how they will have calculated the refund for 11months of lesser service and if they pay compensation?

And if anyone from Plusnet reads this, could you help?

[#2]

Well from here https://www.plus.net/home-broadband/ the difference between Fibre and ADSL is £6/month , so £45 for 11 months does seem a bit low, and that doesn't consider any compensation or goodwill gesture for all the hassle!.

[#3]

Hi there and Welcome to the Community Forum

I am very sorry to hear of the poor experience you have endured, please see Ticket:163803287 for an update.

[#4]

MisterW - Thanks for the note of support.  Appreciated.

Update - I have now been offered a deal to take another year of PN (phone and broadband) at a reduced rate. Being as I haven't actually received the right service so far, I'm not inclined to sign up for another year of it.  This would be in replacement of the refund for the overpayment I've been making each month.

Not massively impressed. Need to be refunded my money and then to talk about compensation to keep me as a customer. 

Would anyone know if I'm right to think that they would be in breach of contract for not delivering the service paid for?

[#5]

All depends if the reduced rate matches your overpayment or not. 

This has happened to at least two people I know and in each case they were offered a refund of all the overpayments plus an incentive to stay on contract- in fact one person I was only speaking to him yesterday to check if he was happy and he was very pleased with the eventual outcome. 

In this latter case the openreach engineer has connected the wrong line to fibre at the cabinet! 

[#6]

@runhare Thanks for the info. I would hope to get to a resolution where I'm refunded, compensated and happy to stay. Good to know others have been.

The effective value of their offer is £72 versus the £66 i have overpaid. And I would be locked in for another year. 

Feels to me like a retention deal dressed up as compensation.  

[#7]

At the very least I would ask for a no contract rolling monthly agreement in case you have cause for further complaint. Has your fibre service been activated ? 

[#8]

Surely any reasonable person would accept that at the very least you are entitled to a full refund plus interest of all the money that Plusnet have removed from you account for a service that they have admitted to not supplying.

It is totally unacceptable for them to attach any strings to repaying money they clearly owe you.

[#9]

Yes @Baldrick1, I agree.

It was clearly their mistake, at least they have admitted it. In my opinion only paying back money owed if you signed a new minimum length term, is holding you to ransom to get money you are owed back.

I would question the legality of it. Say for example you ordered £50 pounds of goods you didn't receive from an on-line store. You ask for the £50 back - they then turn round and say "We'll refund you the £50, but only if you spend another £100 with us".

[#10]

Hi @OCAT, could you please check your account as I have updated the ticket with further detail to what it is we offered.